Rotary engine.



J. J. WALK.

ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 23, 1918.

1 ,292, 1 7 1 Patented J an. 21, 1919.

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J. J. WALK.

ROTARY ENGINE. APPLICATION FILED JULY 2a. was.

Patented Jan. 21, 1919.

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JASPER J. WALK, OF OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA.

ROTARY ENGINE.

Application filed July 23, 1918. Serial N 0. 246,355.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JASPER J. WALK, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Oakland, in the county of Alameda and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Rotary Engines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a rotary englne of the internal combustion type.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a simple, compact lightweight internal combustion engine of the rotary type in which both the cylinders and shaft revolve, and, which, while adapted to operate on the four-cycle principle, is particularly suited for two-cycle operation.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an engine of the character described, in which the pistons during their entire stroke travel on a line substantially at right angles to the cranks, thus eliminating dead centers and furthermore obtaining a constant maximum leverage during the entire compression and working stroke.

Further objectswill hereinafter appear.

The invention consists of the parts and the construction and combination of parts as hereinafter more fully described and claimed, having reference to the accompanying drawings in which- I Figure 1 is a central vertical section on line 1-1, Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is a cross section on line 2-2, Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings in detail, A indicates a base member, which, in this instance, is provided with a pair of journal brackets such as shown at 2 and 3. Journaled in the upper ends of said brackets is a shaft 4, and turnably mounted on the shaft is a pair of crank arms 5 and 5 which, in this instance, are formed integral with a hub member 6. Interposed between the hub and the shaft 4 is a roller clutch 7,

which permits the hub and the crank arins carried thereby to turn freely on the shaft in one direction, while movement in'the opposite direction will be prevented; also -journa1ed on the shaft is a plurality of cylinders such as shown at 8, 9, 10 and 11. These cylinders are rigidly secured to radially disposedarms 12 and 13, there being one pair of arms on each side of the crank arms 5 as shown in Fig. 2. The arms 12 and 13 are, in this instance, also carried by hub members such as shown at 14 and 15, and roller clutches are interposed between the shaft 4 and said hub members in a manner similar to that described in connection with hub 6, these roller clutches being illustrated at 16 and 17 The clutches 7, 16 and 17 are all similarly arranged, that is, they will permit the crank arms and the cylinders to turn freely in one direction upon the shaft, but will lock the same against movement in the opposite direction.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Jan. 21, 1919.

A roller clutch such as shown at 18 is interposed between the shaft 4 and the bearing carried by the bracket 2. This roller clutch is reversed with relation to the other clutches 4 against revolving movement in one' direction, as will hereinafter be described.

Reciprocally mounted in each cylinder is a piston 19, and connecting each piston with a crank arm is a connecting rod such as,

' just described, and therefore locks the shaft 1 intake ports as is usually the case wherean engine operates on a two-cycle'principle. S1m1larl'y each piston is provided witha baffle flange 23, which directs the incoming gases in an upward direction into the'respective cylinders. The intake ports of the respective cylinders are, in this instance, each in communication with respective passages 24, 25, 26 and 27. These'passages are formed in the arms 12 and 13 on one side of the cylinders, see Fig. 2, and they communicate at one end with the ports 22 and at the opposite ends with passages 29 formed in the hub 15. Formed in the bearing carried by the bracket 3 and'surrounding the shaft 4 is an annular passage 30, and communi- 1 catlng wlth said passage 1s a plurality of ports 31, which alternately register with the passages 29. The annular passage'30-is connected through a pipe 32 with an air compressor or pressure blower not here,

shown for the purpose of permitting the introduction of an explosive mixture. The operation of the engine Iwill be substantially as follows:

With the cylinders and pistons assuming 1 V the position shown in Fig. 1 it can be seen that two cylinders are under compression, while the opposite two cylinders have completed their working stroke and are therefore in readiness to receive a new charge through the intake ports. This is permitted as the passages 25 and 29 are in direct alinement With corresponding ports 31 and the annular passage 30. An explosive mixture under pressure can thus pass through said ports and passages to the respective cylinders 9 and 11, the opposite cylinders 8 and 10 having received their charges and being 10 under compress-ion are ready for ignition,

said ignition being accomplishedby provid ing spark plugs 40, and by automatically closing the circuits therethrough, as will hereinafter be described. Explosion of the inix ii-rein the cylinders 8 and 10 Will cause the cylindersto remain stationary, While the "c arm'sand shaft, together with the conods and pistons 19', will travel reetien of arrow a. Compression 11 take place in the cylinders 9 and and exhausting and recharging of the filers '8 and -10 will take place the mot the ports are uncoyered. Ignition of t e ixture in the cylinders 9 andlO Will new dr i e 'the several cylinders and shaft in direction or arrow a, due to the fact that t rolfler clutch 7 will lock the crank a ms inst-reverse ino've'men-t. lhe compiste remain movement of the cylinders takes lacetlre moment the ports are uncov- When theo ppos'ite cylinders have dd itull 'cempression. ignition of the these cylinders will now advance shaft, together with the he m g-rods and pistons. It can, there- I :reetien is obtained, and it'may be 7 ed a rotary vibratory movement, as the e nders and istonstake alternate 'turns in o advancing, one ahead'of the other. Neither the cylinders 'no'r the crank arms can rotate verse direction, as the roller clutches 7, 16' 17 positive-1y prevent such move- This 'is also true of shaft 4:, as the roller clutch locks the shaft against rotation, but opposite direction from that =of the cylinders and'the crank arms. While it 'has been stated that the crank arms and the cylinders intermittently -advance, it is eb'vious that this advance takes place during the rotatilefn for allith'e members, and it can t refers V e state'd 'that during the rotation othe cylinders and the crank arms one advances with "relation to the other, therefore prodrrcing a vibratory movement, While the eg-is "centtnueusi revolving i one direction.

by which the mixture is ignited is very siml-fple. {Eaeh cylinder is provided With a spark marg nstrewn, and each plug is connested h rou gh a Wire with a contact iae uber 51. Each crank arm similarly carilies a eontalet member such as 'shoi'vn at 52, as there being one disposed on each side or the produced, and practically any speed desired beseen that a rotary movement crank arm. The contact members 51 and 52 move into engagement When the pistons have assumed their innermost position, or they may contact and close the circuit just previous to the time period When the pistons should reach the highest point of compression, this being What We term advancing of the spark. The circuit can readily be traced, and it is understood that the stationary plugs are grounded, and that the contacts 52 are connected through Wires 53 With brushes 54, these brushes being carried by the hub lt and being in constant contact with a ring 55 carried by the bearings secured on bracket '2. The engine constructed as here shown is exceedingly simple and contains comparatively few parts. Its Weight should, therefore, be small compared to'the high power should be obtained, as all members rotate and reciprocal movement is eliminated. Explosive mixture delivered through the 32 may be formed in any suitable manner, and the pressure required may be regulated to suit the "charge required.

I similarly Wish it understood that the materials and finish of the several parts of the engine, and the manner of cooling and balancing the same, may be such as the experience and judgment of the manufacturer "may dictate.

Having thus described niy inventi'on, what I claim and desire to semi-relay Letters raent is:

1. A rotary engine comprising a shaft, a pair of connected arms turnably nounted on the shaft, a second pair of 'oonn'eetediarms turnably mounted on the shaft, cylinders "secured on the outer ends of said last named arms, a piston in each cylinder, "a connecting rod connection betweeneach piston and the first named arms and means for admitting a motive fluid to the cylinders and for exhausting the same. I 7 a 2. A rotary engine comprising a shaft,'a

pair of connected arms turnably mounted on the shaft, a second'pair'of connected arms 'first named arms, meansror admitting-sigma tive fluid to the cylinders and Jior exhausting the same and means for locking the-first and second named .arms against rotation r g s aibouttheshait in one'direction. The ei rcu'it 'ithrpugh the spark plugs 40 3. A rotary engine comprising ai-s'haft-, -an a rm central ly journaledand turnab'le on the ends of the first named arm, means for ad 134} mitting an explosive mixture to each cylinder, means for igniting said mixture and means for exhaustino said mixture.

' 4. A rotary engine comprising a shaft, an arm centrally journaled and turnable on the shaft, a second arm centrally journaled and turnable on the shaft, cylinders secured on the outer ends of said second named arm, a piston in each cylinder, a connecting rod connection between each piston and the free ends of the first named arm, means for admitting an explosive mixture to each cylinder, means for igniting said mixture and means for exhausting said mixture, a roller clutch interposed between each set of arms and the shaft adapted to lock said arms against rotation about the shaft in one direction, journal members for the shaft and means for l'ockin said shaft against rotation in one direction.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JASPER J. WALK.

Witnesses:

JOHN H. HERRING, W. W. HEALnY.

copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0." 

